The Kid
by Reader244
Summary: Thomas Queen is a lot like his mother and father. He's grown into the best of both Felicity and Oliver. The Team has become a family and the family is growing.
1. Thomas

**Disclaimer: Yeah, nope.**

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As he got older it became clearer that he inherited traits from both his mother and father. One night, after years of being read bedtime stories by Suess, Sendak, Dahl and Rowling, Thomas had gone to his room to change into his PJs, Oliver had _distracted _Felicity. When they had untangled moments later, Felicity went to check on her son, only to see Thomas, the accomplished 2nd grader, sitting in bed in the dark with her worn copy of the first Harry Potter book open and her e-reader casting a glow on his face from in his hand, already halfway through his second chapter. _"I couldn't see the pages in the dark, so I found the right page from the book on this momma, the snake's talking to Harry!"_

Thomas' intelligence was recognised by his parents early which meant that Felicity insisted on a higher level of education and Oliver made sure his son had the best. His private school was wonderful,, on Thursdays he stayed back for an extra period of physical activity and he excelled there too. From a young age he kept his parents on their toes, with his penchant for climbing furniture and sprinting off in the direction of familiar voices, be it Roy or Barry, in busy public areas. The adults often argued over who he ran for faster.

_Roy, Diggle and Lyla sat back on the training mats, laughing at Sara and Thea's arguing. Sarah claimed the top spot as Thomas' favourite aunt. Thea rallied, pushing her own case, arguing back that it was only because "Sara is the cool aunt that shows up as a surprise and always brings cool presents", she may or may not have tossed the cough covered word "bribe" after that. She backed up her case with a "he sees me all the time and still gets an excited smile on his face!" Thea argued that she should get bonus points because Thomas still got excited when he saw her even if he had seen her the day before._

However none of them could contend with the way his ear's literally perked up when he heard Felicity, no one got tighter hugs than she did or the way his eyes brightened when he saw his dad, the sparkle seen there unmistakably identical and a constant reminder for Oliver, of Felicity's eyes.

When Oliver secured QC again, John was promoted, Black Driver no more. Oliver appointed him to head of security for Queen Consolidated, citing John's ongoing excellent work as his personal bodyguard. It gave him reason to be around Oliver and Felicity during the day, coming in handy when there was _Pointy Business_, when Oliver needed advice and along those same lines, also came in handy when Felicity went into labour and Oliver was in a meeting 10 floors down. He's especially well placed now as Felicity; head of the IT department and Oliver are both called into an end of day meeting just as little Thomas is done with school. Thursday was the only exception of the school week where Thomas wasn't picked up by his parents personally, usually Aunt Thea or Uncle Roy were there after his extended sport day to take him out for ice-cream or hot chocolate depending on the weather and then Mum and Dad would be waiting for him at home. Unfortunately due to the impromptu meeting, instead of driving him home, Roy took Thomas up to his father's floor where both Diggle and Felicity had offices, John was left to occupy him till Felicity and Oliver got free. John, after all, being plenty experienced as a result of raising his own two girls.

When he had waved goodbye to uncle Roy through the glass, Thomas turned to his other uncle, he sighed a, "Hey uncle Digg," with the over-dramatic flair befitting Oliver's son and flopped into his father's desk chair and wiggled all the way back to be engulfed by the leather and leaving his feet to kick out just over the edge  
"Hey Thomas, what's happening kid, big day?"  
More dramatics as he blew his blonde hair from his forehead, the kid certainly had flair, "Yes! We had our first go on the rock climbing wall today!" Noticing early, Tomas' tendency to run out of breath mid-sentence Felicity had taught her son something she'd never learnt to do herself, pause between words. Or at the very least, sentences. "I reached the very top of the wall, it was only a small one, a kid's one, we had belts with ropes on so we wouldn't fall and everything. I got to ring a bell when we got to the top! Then we had to do this thing were we lean back, then hop down the wall towards the ground like a bunny but lying down in mid-air," he demonstrated his abseiling positing with active hand gestures, "it was so much fun. I'm going to ask dad if he can take me again; there was a giant wall for adults too. He's probably good at it, he doesn't even use his feet when he does that fishy ladder that mum likes so much. She always watches when he does it in the _super-secret hero hiding place_." There was always a wink that followed the whisper of _super-secret hero hiding place, _John watched as Thomas scrunched up his nose and squinted managing to blink one eye closed keeping the other open.

John was pretty sure that was more of Oliver's influence; though he still chuckled at the kid's keenly observed comments. Some things never change.

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**Wasn't sure about putting up a kid fic but the idea stuck so... yeah. In any case you got to the bottom, honestly, cheers for reading however much you did.**


	2. Maddie

**Disclaimer: You've seen one of these before you know how it goes**

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Thomas was 6 when his baby sister came along. In his opinion, it was about time. His mum had done a good job looking like a balloon for ages. He'd been waiting for this for a while now. From like all the way back to when he was five.

His dad woke him up in the middle of the night; Thomas originally thought his mum just wanted more of that ice-cream that they always ran out of. They usually went out to go get it together, him and his dad. Instead Oliver and Felicity were headed for the hospital and Uncle Digg was coming over till later. He'll go to them later. When Thomas is waiting on something he really wants, it becomes clear that he's inherited his laser-like focus from both parents. He's up all night after that, he sits and reads and waits for dad to call.

He suspects his mum probably has something to go with all those empty ice-cream cartons. He likes the minty chocolaty stuff just as much as Felicity does, but there's only ever the hazelnut ice-cream that his dad favours left.  
Felicity and Oliver are just relieved that ice-cream is the only thing Thomas doesn't want to share with the baby.

But really he can't wait for the baby. He's going to be the best big brother. He probably will share his ice-cream too. They can always get more later. Mum and Dad have already promised him that he'll be the first one that gets to hold the baby before any of the other visitors. He does.

Mum and Dad come through on their promise. Uncle Digg takes him to the hospital when Oliver calls to give them the good news. Felicity and the baby are happy and healthy. Thomas practically jogs his way to Felicity's private room. But he hesitates at the door; it only takes a minute for Uncle Roy and Aunt Thea, who are standing outside, to push him through.

Felicity is cradling a pink blanket.

Thomas is introduced to his new baby sister, Maddison Sara Queen. To him she is Maddie from the first couple of minutes that he meets her to the rest of her life. The childhood nickname sticks. He looks down at her in his arms. She has a little bit of blonde hair right on the top of her head and eyes that he recognises as the same colour as his own and his mums. He adjusts and makes sure he's supporting her head like dad showed him.

When he lifts his head, his mum is watching from the bed, looking at him with mushy eyes.  
Dad warned him about her being _emotional_.  
He said nothing about himself though and when Thomas looks to his dad; Oliver's eyes are all shiny. That combined with a smile on his face wide and bright enough to rival Felicity's.


	3. The Lair

**Disclaimer: You know how this goes.**

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Thomas wasn't allowed into the lair till he turned sixteen, he knew about it of course. It was no secret what his parents did at nights, his father's self-appointed duty. It was something the family shared.

But their nightly activities were something that had, till now, existed in a parallel world to his own life. Wherein his parents were both hardworking and savvy business people, that despite what all the clichés insisted upon, always made time for his and his sister. In the parallel world his parents fought effectively for the future of what would hopefully be a safer city for their children. He was proud of his parents in both worlds.

Thomas was only able to step foot into the lair once he was old enough to begin to understand both the dangers and responsibilities of being a part of that world. Despite his newly allowed visiting hours in the lair, there was no way Thomas ever went into the field. His visiting hours were spent with whoever remained behind when a mission didn't demand the full strength of Team Arrow.

Uncle Diggle would train him in firearms. He was barred, of course, from firing off any live rounds. But Thomas could take a handgun apart, clean it and put it back together, blindfolded. They would often sit together listening to the comms, cleaning while Digg told war stories or Arrow adventures from their early years.

Uncle Roy taught him parkour whenever he stayed back to train. Thomas would help set up the obstacle course and then they'd both run drills. Of course it had been Oliver, who taught Roy, but Roy was smaller with a more agile frame and many years of training meant he was a great practical teacher. They'd run the course side by side, pausing when Roy showed Thomas a different technique or flip. Roy would often point out that in a different life, sometimes all he could do was run and that sometimes it was the only thing that saved him from a lot of pain.

His Mum taught him as much as he could understand about the technology side of the operation, but her computers in the lair remained untouched, save for the regular cleaning undertaken by Diggle on Felicity's strict instruction and were remotely updated by Felicity herself. She refused to visit the lair while Maddie was still young; mostly she monitored operations from her home office.

She was intent on being every single bit the parent her own mother never was. Thomas could attest to her success in this, he'd only met grandma once. He had to call her auntie. Felicity was her polar opposite, Oliver even agreed to her decision (although Thomas thinks his Dad agreed so easily because it means Mum won't argue her way into fieldwork as much). Her passions shone through during every lesson; truthfully she'd prefer her son to sit behind a computer than be out on the street, if his field ban was ever lifted.

Thomas rarely trained with his dad though. It was tedious and boring. He was also confused when one day in the middle of such a rare session, Roy walked into the basement and taking in Thomas and his "training" a look of nostalgia passed over Roy's face, which was promptly cracked in the middle by a secret smile.  
Surely Roy didn't miss training that much.  
His dad only ever made his slap bowls of water.


	4. A Fight

**Disclaimer: You know the usual. Don't own it. Just write the fiction to it.**

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Thomas didn't often hear his parents fight. Especially when he, or later Maddie, was around. No, when the kids were there Oliver and Felicity's bickering and fights were only in cutting whispers and frustratingly controlled gestures. The single fight that was an exception to this rule was the beginning of Thomas' understanding of love. His parents united would teach him many more often by example but the first was completely unknowingly.

He knew his mother had a loud voice, she was notorious for it. Useful for intimidating into action a man who was broken or to pull him back from the edge or when _someone_ doesn't brush their teeth, _it only happened once_.

Thomas could hear it erupt, from his room, he remembers hoping that the baby in his mother's belly couldn't hear the sound. It was confusing, he'd never heard his father sound so completely broken and his mother so steely.

Thomas, in hindsight, was able to determine the cause of the fight. His mother had been in the middle of planning the setup for the teams field support. In the office downstairs. When Oliver had found out he'd all but called to cancel the deliveries. Thomas had been woken by the catches of conversation when Oliver confronted a very Maddie-pregnant Felicity on the matter, "We said no fieldwork... what are you thinking... the baby".

Hormones pushed Felicity's anger to the surface.  
"We didn't meet in a coffee shop Oliver. You didn't get me a second drink after I hypothetically and probably inevitably tripped and landed on your lap."

Thomas dropped from his bed lightly, and rolled to the door, crouching right next to the banister he could hear his mother still.  
"You came to me. If you weren't dressed head to toe in green leather, shot and bleeding I would've thought you were car jacking me! I was the one that drove you to the sketchy foundry, despite my brain screaming hospital over and over again."

A few more steps down and Thomas could see them. His father was seated with his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. His mother stood over him, narrowed eyes and stubborn stance.  
"So please, spare me the usual I don't want you to get hurt talk. I'll be right here, in our home, Oliver. I've taken every precaution. The baby will be safe. My life, my choice."

Thomas learned that there were many different types of love and that they could tear someone down in desperation or build someone up with fierceness. The latter currently applied to his mother.

Felicity wanted to help, not out of a selfish need to be a part of the action but to guide and protect the team she loved, borne from the love she had for her found family and her husband.  
Thomas' father wanted to end the plans because he wanted to do the same for the woman he loved and their unborn child.

He watched his father sigh. He couldn't ever not give in to his wife. Thomas looked on as his dad stared at his mother. His shoulders dropped."I just need you to be safe."

Felicity's posture loosened. Thomas watched as she met his father on even ground. Wrapping her arms around Oliver's shoulders. "And I need to help you stay safe. We'll be on comms from the minute you step out our front door."

Oliver raised his head, wrapping his own arms around his wife's waist. They stayed like this. Thomas thought it was like they were each others teddy bear. Taking comfort in each other. His teddy always made him feel great.

Thomas couldn't be sure how they'd reached an outcome, whether it had been through whispers or simply the long look they shared when they finally untangled. All he knew was that his butt froze on that top stair and watched. He didn't move till his parents did. Then he did a run and jump to his bed cause he heard his father saying "I'm going to check on Thomas".

That night Thomas learned love, in part, meant Understanding.

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**Mostly this started with the Felicity lines.** **But I hadn't written a chapter for this in a while so I was like, why not try make it work.**


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